North America

Tattoos with three dots in the form of a triangle, found in between the thumb and forefinger, was one of the most prevalent generic tattoo in North America. The art usually stood for "mi vida loca" ("my crazy life"), or the three major connections of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The tattoo may or may not have a direct connection with the gangs. A similar type was adopted by the Vietnamese teenagers, under the interpretation of "tôi không c?n gě c?", meaning "I don't need nothing". Another variety was a teardrop at one of the eyes of the wearer. The tattoo was indicative of the fact that the wearer has killed someone, or a friend of theirs was killed in prison. Symbols of aggression such as skulls, tattoos advertising a particular skill, or religious imagery, tattoos of a clock with no hands symbolical of phrase "until the end of time" (life sentence) are some of the other criminal tattoos found.